My Boys: Another Kind of Sandwich

So many of my posts are about my girls, but I want to share with you how special my boys are. Moms of boys, don't you just love hugs and kisses from your boys? When they're 17 years old, how special those hugs and kisses become. I am so proud that my boys are affectionate with their mother...even in public.




Okay, the picture of Brandon making a face when I kissed him in front of every 5th grader at school today, AND the football team is his way of picking at me...REALLY! Even before the LORD paved the way for him to move in with us permanently, before we became his legal guardians, Brandon would hug and kiss me in public, even say, "I love you, Mrs. Robbie." I love him soooooooooo much. And, tonight my star football player blew his mommy a kiss from the sidelines.

And, Caleb, oh how sweet he was as a young boy. (He acts a little more like a teenager now, but he still loves his mama.)When he was younger, if I was ever sick, with the flu, kidney infections, etc., he would always come quietly into my room and ask how I was doing. I remember one time when he didn't want to go somewhere with his friends because I was sick; he didn't want to leave me alone.

The boys have a friend from church who has in a bad automobile accident. Brandon went 2 hours away to the hospital where she was life flighted to check on her. Since her family is not in church, he made plans to play golf with her dad so he could witness to him. Without the positive influenced he could have had when he was growing up, he now coaches little league soccer. He plays with kids. Sometimes when he comes home from football practice, he grabs the girls and says, "Come here. I haven't seen you all day."

I think I've posted this before, but here is one of my favorite stories about Caleb. When he was about 5 years old, our neighbor passed away. Caleb and Stan would often check in on his widow and do little odd jobs for her. That summer while on vacation, Caleb looked up at me, with his feet in the edges of the Atlantic Ocean and said with a quivering voice, "Mama, who's looking after Mrs. Conner?"

One day last week, someone really hurt my feelings. I continued to deal with this perosn, trying to be strong. I had walked away when Brandon saw me, the tears pooling in my eyes. He smiled and said, "I love you, Mrs. Robbie." Of course, he meant that to make me feel better. While it did, the added emotion of his love for me opened the flood gates. I kept crying. Caleb called me. I couldn't talk at that moment. Caleb was so worried, he called later in the day just to check on me. Oh, the treasure of being loved by 2 BIG boys, enough that they want to protect me from hurt feelings. I'm so glad God wants to comfort me when I'm hurt, and He wants to comfort me so much that He sent His only son just for me, and when I'm too wrapped up to remember His sacrifice for me, He sent me two muscled boys to give me a hug.

Hugs change, too, when your boys get big. The bear hugs can be painful. Occasionally, one of them will ask the other, "Do you know what I want?" Reply, "A sandwich." Questions: " Do you know what kind?" And then they'll both say, "A Mama Sandwich." Those are good old big hugs.

I'm sure I'll be sappy again many times this year. Both of those boys will likely leave home this summer. Caleb plans to join the navy, and Brandon plans to go to college 4 hours away from home. Do you suppose some of you can come over and make me a sandwich?

(I hope the pictures I've tried adding to this post twice already show up soon.)
And since they still won't show up, here is my first attempt at putting a link on my blog. If you'd like to take a look at the boys' senior pictures. Just click their name:
Caleb
Brandon